ME1036

ME1036 (formerly CP5609) is a novel parenteral carbapenem antibiotic characterized by a 7-acylated imidazo[5,1-b]thiazole-2-yl group directly attached to the carbapenem moiety at the C-2 position. Developed through a collaboration between Meiji Seika Pharma and Pfizer, it was specifically designed to address resistance in methicillin-resistant *Staphylococcus aureus* (MRSA), including community-acquired and vancomycin-intermediate strains. Its mechanism of action involves high-affinity binding to penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), a target that typically confers resistance to most beta-lactam antibiotics. ME1036 also exhibits potent broad-spectrum activity against other pathogens such as penicillin-resistant *Streptococcus pneumoniae*, *Haemophilus influenzae*, and *Enterococcus faecalis*. It is administered intravenously and is typically co-administered with cilastatin sodium to prevent degradation by renal dehydropeptidase-I. Clinical development of the compound appears to have been discontinued after early-stage evaluation.